Joint in line wires



Dec. 3, 1935. QUARLES 2,022,977

JOINT IN LINE WIRES Filed Feb. 5, 1951 lNl/ENTOR D. A. QUARLES "J? %(ac 301064 AT TORNE) Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Bell Telephone Laboratories,

Incorporated,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 5, 1931, Serial No. 513,414

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of making joints in ferrous wires.

One of the objects of the invention is to produce a joint which may be readily made and which will be equally as strong as the wire itself.

Another object of the invention is to produce a joint which will be impervious to moisture and will not corrode or rust.

A further object of the invention is to provide a joint which will maintain a constant resistance throughout the life of the wire.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a joint of such a construction and material that the portion of the wires to be joined will not be affected by the weather. A still further object of the invention is to provide a sleeve, for galvanized wire, which has at its end portion an excess of zinc so that any tendency to deplate the zinc from the steel wire adjacent the ends of the sleeve, by the well known action resulting from electro-potential difierences between zinc and steel will be prevented and the coating of zinc on the line wire will be maintained.

In the joining of iron wires used on exposed lines by means of sleeves, it is necessary to prevent the entrance of moisture into the sleeve ends to prevent corrosion or rust and consequently increase the resistance of the joint.

In accordance with the present invention a joint between two ferrous wires is made by means of a sleeve composed of ferrous material, the sleeve being provided at its extremities with inserts or bushings of a non-ferrous material, for example, zinc. 4

It is a well known fact that zinc or some such similar material, when exposed to the elements and when in the proximity of another material, such as iron or steel, will act as .a protective agent to that material and will prevent it from deteriorating due to its own disintegration. The dissimilar metals, together with a small amount of moisture, containing salts, etc., derived from the atmosphere will form a galvanic cell, set up a current and start corrosion. The metal that corrodes is oxidized in the sense that there is a loss of electrons. The metal which is electronegative to the other will be the one to be oxidized, while the electropositive metal will remain uncorroded. The electropositive or electronegative characteristic of a particular metal with respect to another may be ascertained by consulting the potential or electromotive series of elements, as for example the table given in the Bureau of Standards Bulletin No. 80, Protective Metal Coatings, Second Edition, 1922.

The applicant has taken advantage of this fact and has constructed a sleeve for making joints in ferrous wires comprising a sleeve portion out of ferrous material and having inserts or bushings at each end constructed out of non-ferrous ma- 5 terial, for example, zinc. When the ends of the wires to be joined are inserted in the sleeve and firmly secured therein by forcing the sleeve and the inserts into intimate contact with the wires, the zinc inserts act as a protecting agent at the 10 most vulnerable place of the joint, that is, where the ends of the sleeve come into contact with the wire, and at which point it is very necessary to protect. Due to the zinc inserts diverting the action of the elements to itself and as long as 15 there is any of the zinc left, there will not be any deterioration of the wire or sleeve at this point.

Referring now to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in section of one form of sleeve made in accordance with my invention, 20 with the wires to be joined inserted therein;

Figs. 2 and 3 are modified forms of the invention;

Fig. 4 illustrates a suitable means for forcing the sleeve into contact with the wires to be joined; 25 Fig. 5 is a view partly in section illustrating a joint made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-5 of Fig. 5 and illustrates a section of the sleeve after it has been forced into contact with 30 the wire; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of one of the rollers taken on line i-'i of Fig. 4.

Referring now to Fig. 1, a metallic sleeve ID of ferrous material is provided at each end with 35 a bushing or insert ii, said bushing being constructed of a non-ferrous material, for example, zinc. The wires I2 and i3, which are also of ferrous material, and which are to be joined together, are inserted into the sleeve In the proper 40 distance; that is, until the ends l4 and I5 come in contact with the ridge 16 which has been previously formed on the interior of the sleeve. This ridge or obstruction is located midway between the ends of the sleeve Ill and prevents the wires 45 I2 and 13 from being incorrectly placed in the sleeve I0.

After the wires l2 and I3 are positioned in the sleeve in, the joint is now ready to be made by forcing the sleeve l0 into intimate contact with 50 the wires I2 and I3. This may be done in any suitable manner, for example, a pair of rollers l8 and I! such as illustrated in Fig. 4. These rollers are provided with flats l8 and IS in order that the sleeve with the ends of the wires therein may 55 be inserted in the groove I. of the rollers at the beginning of the operation and removed at the finish. This obviates the necessity of shifting the rolllngtooloverthefulllengthofthewirein p lyin or removing the tool.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate alternate ways in which the bushings may besecured in the sleeve. for example, in, Fig. 2 the bushings ii 'are tapered and are provided with a series of corrugations If. The interior of the sleeve II is also provided with corrugations which coincide with the corrugations on the bushings. These corrugations prevent the bushings from being displaced during the insertion ofthe wires l2 and II and the joining operation which follows.

In Fig. 3, I have shown another method of securing the bushings to the sleeve. The bushings II are in the form of a collar which fits over the reduced portion 24 of the sleeve ll.

As shown in Fig. 4, the rollers II and I! have travelled approximately one-third the distance of the sleeve and have already forced the bushing I I and a portion of the sleeve it into intimate contact with the wire If, as shown by the reduced diameter of the sleeve II at the end 2|. When the rollers II and II have travelled the entire length of the sleeve ll, they will have rolled the sleeve and the bushings Ii into intimate contact with the wires II and It as shown in Fig. 5.

I do not limit myself to any specific tool for forcing the sleeve into contact with the wire, as it is obvious that many modifications may be madebythose skilledintheart,forexample. thetoolshowninthspending vplicationofwJ. Hayford, Serial No. 871,254. filed-June 15, 1929, and that I am not restricted to the example shown and only by the scope of the. appended claims. 5

What is claimed is:

i. A connection for preventing oxidation of the plating of metal plated wires comprising a metal sleeve for receiving the ends of said wires, metal inserts in the ends of said sleeve in inti- 1o mate contact with the plating on said wires, the metal of said plating being electronegative with respect to that of the sleeve and neutral or electropositive with respect to that of the inserts, whereby any galvanic action that occurs will re- 15 sult in the oxidation of the insert rather than the plating on the wires.

2. A connection for preventing oxidation of the plating of metal plated wires comprising a metal sleeve for receiving the ends of said wires, metal 20 inserts in the ends of said sleeve in intimate contact with the plating on said wires. the metal'of said plating being electronegative with respect to that of the sleeve and neutral or electropositive with respect to that of the inserts, said wires and 25 sleeve being made from ferrous material and said inserts being formed from zinc, whereby any galvanic action that occurs will result in the oxidation of the insert rather than the plating on the wires.

DONALD A. QUARLES. 

